Eastern Michigan vs Buffalo Odds
| EMU Eagles Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
+5 -110 | 37 -115o / -105u | +165 |
| Buffalo Bulls Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Over/Under | Moneyline |
-5 -110 | 37 -115o / -105u | -200 |
It's time to dive into the Eastern Michigan vs Buffalo odds and make a pick and prediction for Tuesday night college football MACtion.
Eastern Michigan and Buffalo meet at UB Stadium on Tuesday night to close out the regular season with some MACtion.
The 3-8 Bulls won't be bowling this season, but the Eagles (5-6) can secure bowl eligibility with a win.
All of the motivation seems to be on one side, but I don’t expect this to be easy for EMU. Here's a look at my Eastern Michigan vs. Buffalo prediction.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Head coach Chris Creighton's Eagles have lost three of their past four during an end-of-season struggle. However, a win would still give EMU bowl eligibility in its fifth consecutive season for the first time in school history.
The program has had great success in midweek MACtion games under Creighton. Excluding the 2020 COVID-19 season, when there were no weekday contests, Eastern Michigan is 12-6 in midweek conference games.
If the Eagles want to add another victory, they'll need another strong performance from Samson Evans, who racked up three rushing touchdowns last week against Akron. Those three touchdowns brought Evans' season total to 11, making him the first player in program history to rush for 10-plus scores in three different seasons.
On the defensive side of the ball, Chase Kline and Joe Sparacio have combined for 258 tackles, which is 28.7% of the team’s total tackles and the most by an Eastern Michigan duo since 1999.
Buffalo Bulls
After winning the Camellia Bowl last season, things haven't gone according to plan for Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist. However, the issues aren't on the defensive side of the ball.
The Bulls' stop unit ranks in the top 40 in the FBS in Rush Success, Line Yards and Pass Success. This is also the same unit that ranks second in the MAC in total defense during conference play, allowing fewer than 300 yards per game.
One of the key performers on this defense is Max Michel, who leads the league with four forced fumbles. He's two short of the single-season program record set by Anthony Scott in 1996.
The Bulls have also done a great job of dominating the time of possession. Buffalo has won the statistic in nine straight games, but the problem is it hasn’t led to enough points.
Eastern Michigan vs Buffalo
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Eastern Michigan and Buffalo match up statistically:
Eastern Michigan Offense vs. Buffalo Defense
 | Offense |  Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 106 | 22 | |
| Line Yards | 82 | 19 | |
| Pass Success | 126 | 31 | |
| Havoc | 122 | 56 | |
| Finishing Drives | 67 | 56 | |
| Quality Drives | 120 | 78 | |
Buffalo Offense vs. Eastern Michigan Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 70 | 109 | |
| Line Yards | 113 | 114 |  |
| Pass Success | 130 | 84 | |
| Havoc | 34 | 83 | |
| Finishing Drives | 75 | 57 | |
| Quality Drives | 107 | 72 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 20 | 122 |
| PFF Coverage | 71 | 93 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 12 | 99 |
| Middle 8 | 84 | 95 |
| Seconds per Play | 28.8 (98) | 26.2 (47) |
| Rush Rate | 53.8% (81) | 52.5% (74) |
Eastern Michigan vs Buffalo
Betting Pick & Prediction
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This total (36), which has dropped from the opener of 41.5, is extremely low, and the opportunity to back the underdog at just over a touchdown in a game with such a low total is one I can't turn down.
With that said, my best bet is to take the points with Eastern Michigan at +6.5. I would keep holding out for a +7, but I wouldn’t back this at anything lower than +6.
It's going to be tough for EMU to score, but I don't think the Bulls will score much either. In fact, the Bulls rank 130th nationally in Pass Success on the offensive side of the ball, which will make things more difficult against an average EMU pass defense.
The Eagles also have the advantage in Finishing Drives on both sides of the ball and rank higher in both tackling and coverage grading, according to Pro Football Focus.
Add in the fact that we get the better coach and special teams unit, and I just think this is too many points, especially with a very low total.
Plus, the Eagles will be motivated with bowl eligibility on the line, so I’ll take my chances with the visiting underdogs.
